1. Field of the Invention
The disclosed invention relates generally to mechanical power modulation and transmission. More specifically, the invention concerns continuously and infinitely variable units and transmissions, subassemblies, components, and methods for use therewith.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the relevant technology various types of continuously and infinitely variable transmissions (C/IVT) are known. For example, one well known class of continuous variators is the belt-and-variable-radius-pulley variator. Other known variators include hydrostatic, toroidal, and cone-and-ring variators. In some cases, these variators couple to other gearing to provide infinitely variable transmission functionality. The present disclosure is addressed in part to a type of C/IVT typically known as a ball-type rolling traction CVT. To provide a continuously or infinitely variable transmission, various ball-type rolling traction transmissions have been developed in which power is transmitted through traction rollers supported in a housing between torque input and output discs. In some such transmissions, traction rollers are mounted on support structures configured to cause the engagement of the traction rollers with the input and output discs in circles of varying diameters depending on the desired transmission ratio.
Although ball-type rolling traction CVTs have gained some acceptance in certain industrial applications, the technology has generally been unable to overcome technical and economic hurdles to gain a wider adoption across multiple fields of use. The success of many known solutions has been limited. There is a continuing need in the CVT/IVT industry for transmission and variator improvements in increasing efficiency and packaging flexibility, simplifying operation, and reducing cost, size, and complexity, among other things. The inventive embodiments disclosed here address many of these challenges. In particular, though certainly not limited in scope of applicability, certain inventive embodiments disclosed here provide mechanisms and methods for employing continuously variable units and/or continuously variable transmissions in vehicle applications.